-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He is a towering figure in the history of cinema , a colossus who has frightened and thrilled audiences in equal measure . Now King Kong , the famous silverback from the silver screen , is roaring and pounding his way onto the theatrical stage .

Merian C. Cooper 's 1933 classic fantasy tale of a giant gorilla has become a musical reality at the Regent Theatre , in Melbourne , Australia -- thanks to a six-meter high robotic puppet , and the pioneering work of puppeteer Sonny Tilders .

`` It 's been amazing . They 're not just praising the puppet , they are praising the character . That is so rewarding , '' Tilders told CNN .

The animatronics expert leads a 35-strong team at The Creature Technology Company in west Melbourne and has an impressive track record in both film and theater .

The 46-year-old has more than two decades ' experience making high-tech puppets and counts `` Stars Wars -- Revenge of the Sith '' and `` The Chronicles of Narnia '' among his many movie credits .

He was also the robotic brains behind the hugely successful `` Walking with Dinosaurs -- The Arena Spectacular '' stage show , but the scale of King Kong was unlike anything he had attempted before .

The rubber and rabbit fur model seen hanging off the Empire State Building swatting bi-planes in the original film was 24 inches tall . The modern stage incarnation of Kong stands six meters high and weighs more than a ton .

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When the multi-million dollar project started five years ago , Tilders originally set out to create a fully animatronic creature but ended up combining old-fashioned puppetry with modern robotics .

`` We were considering having two versions . We were developing other technologies that we would need for animatronic limbs to move , '' he said .

`` But to cut a long story short , we were so impressed by what the manned puppet could do that we had a change of heart and said we should do the whole show with marionette puppets . It made much more sense . ''

Suspended from the ceiling , Kong 's limbs are manipulated on stage by 10 specially trained stage circus artists who scurry over and around the puppet , shifting his arms and legs by hand or using ropes .

Clad in black from head to toe , these shadowy figures called the `` King 's Men , '' work in tandem with three off-stage puppeteers -- the `` voodoo '' operators -- who control the mechanical functions inside Kong .

Around 300 meters of electrical wiring are crammed inside the puppet 's steel and aluminum shell powering 16 microprocessors and 15 servo motors which move Kong 's eyes , eyebrows and eyelids , nose , lips , jaw , neck and shoulders . He also makes sounds -- a vital part of making his movements appear realistic , says Tilders .

Marrying the mechanical functions of interior with the organic-looking Lycra and latex exterior is one of the big challenges of animatronics , Tilders says .

`` We wanted to create a puppet that was really dynamic on stage . One of the ways to solve that and not kill anyone or destroy the puppet or the stage itself was to make his extremities -- his arms and fists -- in a way that has as little steel as possible . ''

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From the elbow down , Kong 's arms are filled with air , allowing him to furiously pound the floor without causing a minor earthquake .

Overlaying the air bags are a series of sculptured muscle bags made from a stretchy nylon material that expands and contracts to mimic the sinewy movements of the real thing .

He might not be the largest marionette in the world - that record is held by France 's street theater company Royal de Luxe -- but he is , says Tilders , the most articulated .

`` Often -LRB- big puppets -RRB- are quite simple and slow , but what we 've developed is a hybrid technology enabling us to do some powerful and specific moves . ''

The Creature Technology Company 's ambitions were aided by UK-based stage automation experts Stage Technologies who provided the four-ton track-and-trolley system suspended above the stage .

`` It 's a machine that allows Kong to both move around the stage and be raised up and down but also take different positions , '' said Stage Technologies ' Group CEO Mark Ager .

`` We move his torso with eight winches and that allows us to change the aspect of it . So , for instance , when he walks , his shoulders can roll from side to side . It 's basically a big boys version of a wooden cross you see on smaller puppets . ''

The company , which is currently helping pop star Pink fly around stage on her world tour , has previously assisted Tilders with the Walking with Dinosaurs project , helping create a flying prehistoric bird called an Ornithocheirus .

But the complexity of Kong surpassed anything they have previously built , leading to a few nerves as opening night approached .

`` Given -LRB- Kong -RRB- is the main actor it was quite a concern , but it is incredible , '' he said .

`` There 's an awful lot of engineering that goes into something that looks so effortless . He feels real . I think you have to see inferior robotic incarnations to see quite how clever -LRB- Kong -RRB- is . ''

Overall , it 's been an extraordinary collaboration of engineering and software expertise with sculptors , artists , musicians and actors creating a unique spectacle .

The critics like it too . Many have warmed to the show itself since it opened in June and almost all have heaped lavish praise on Kong himself . It 's only a matter of time before audiences worldwide get their chance to feel the towering stage presence of Kong , said Tilders .

`` It 's definitely going overseas , '' he said . `` The financial model ca n't rely on 20 million people in Australia . Obviously , we would love to go to Broadway because that 's the natural home for the story . ''

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Giant marionette/animatronic King Kong takes to stage in Melbourne-based musical

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Puppet created by same company who created Walking with Dinosaurs arena tour

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Merian C. Cooper 's classic 1993 adventure adapted for stage with a six-meter tall Kong

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Team of puppeteers on and off stage control Kong 's movements